Christmas rice recipe

Christmas rice is a must-have side dish in Trinidad and Tobago during the holidays. It’s colorful, flavorful, and full of festive vibes. This is the fancy dish; the rice that came dressed for the party.

In the Caribbean, we love a good rice dish. Some are loaded with meat, others with veggies, and this one brings the best of both—steamed rice mixed with savory ham and vibrant vegetables.

Now, I’ll be real, I wasn’t always a veggie lover growing up. But thanks to my mom’s gentle (and persistent) encouragement, I’ve grown to appreciate a dish that sneaks in all that goodness and still tastes amazing.

This holiday rice is like the dressed-up cousin of my calypso rice recipe.

How to make calypso rice

Ingredients

It may look complicated but the ingredients for this are pretty simple.

Take in some special notes for these specific ingredients:

• Long grain rice – I always use long grain rice to cook my dishes. It stands up better to additional cooking.
• Coconut oil – Coconut oil adds some additional flavor to this dish. Versus using another like vegetable oil. But you can use what you have on hand
• Black olives – I know not everyone likes black olives, but it really adds some saltiness to combat the sweet. Everything combined is an explosion of flavor.
• Diced ham – you can use the cubed ham that sells in groceries. Or if you have already done a baked ham for the holidays, cut off and chop up some of that.
• Sweet peppers – try to use ones that are bright so like red, yellow, orange

Instructions

Tip: Please make sure you have everything ready to go before starting on the stove. Prep time is probably the most work for this dish

1. Boil your rice with whatever process you prepare rice; on the stove or in your rice cooker. It does not matter.
   Tip: I like using day-old rice for this—just like with fried rice, it holds up better when mixing.
2. Once the rice is done, drain and set aside.
3. Heat the stove on medium heat. Then, add half of the coconut oil to your pot to heat through.

4. Add onions, garlic, celery, bell peppers, and ginger, and sauté until the onions are opaque.
5. Add the grated carrots and mix for two minutes. I like to add the carrots now so that it can get rid of some of the liquid it created while it was grated and sitting.

6. Once that is done, add in your cubed ham and cook until heated through.

7. Add soy sauce and the cooked rice and combine well. Cook until rice is incorporated with everything.

8. Remove from heat and add in raisins, cranberries, and black olives.
9. Garnish with roughly chopped parsley.

Serving suggestions

This dish can absolutely hold its own—it’s savory, flavorful, and full of holiday joy. But it also plays well with a main.

Pair it with

• Stew lamb
• Roasted fish
• Roasted chicken
• Stew chicken

Storage and reheating of Christmas rice

• This rice dish can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
• To warm up, throw in a microwaveable bowl and warm up for 45-second spurts until warmed through.
• It can also be put to freeze in airtight bags. To warm up from the freezer, defrost in the fridge overnight then warm up in the microwave.

Substitutions & Additions

Substitutions

• Oil – Coconut oil adds a subtle richness, but feel free to swap it out with ghee, olive, or canola oil. Sesame oil also works nicely—just add a splash at the end for flavor.
• Rice – Don’t like parboiled? Use brown, jasmine, or even yellow rice for a different flavor (and a festive Spanish vibe).
• Meat – No ham? Use what you have—chicken, turkey, bacon, even minced meat.
• Onion – Red onion is a tasty sub for white and adds a pop of color too.

Additions

This is a flexible dish, so feel free to jazz it up. Keep things colorful and aim for a sweet-salty balance.

• Sweet corn or green peas
• Crushed walnuts or whole cashews
• Red onions or scallions
• Pickled beets – the jarred kind (cut them in half); add them with the raisins
• Red or green food coloring – dye portions of the cooked rice for a true Christmas vibe
• Chadon beni – swap or pair with parsley
• Hot pepper – if you like heat

More rice recipes

• Caribbean rice and peas
• Saltfish and rice
• Okra rice
• Pumpkin rice
• Caribbean yellow rice

Recipe

Caribbean Christmas Rice

A festive, flavorful rice dish packed with colorful vegetables, dried fruits, and savory bits of ham. Perfect for bringing holiday cheer to your table.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Caribbean

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice or 2 cups cooked rice
• Water for boiling rice
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil divided
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped orange bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup black olives chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins chopped
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 cup cubed ham
• Chopped parsley for garnish

Method

 

1. Boil rice in water until fully cooked, then set aside.
2. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil.
3. Add the onion, garlic, celery, bell peppers, and ginger. Sauté until onions are translucent.
4. Mix in the grated carrot and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add ham and stir until heated through.
6. Add the cooked rice, soy sauce, and remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Toss to combine and heat through.
7. Remove from heat. Stir in raisins, cranberries, and chopped black olives.
8. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

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